Era and the White Dragon
by Suzume Suzuki
Summary: Era is different. She is no one's child and is the outcast of her village. However, she aspires to become a Dragon Rider after hearing the heroic tale of Eragon and Saphira. But things take a turn when her village is attacked and Era comes in possession of a white dragon egg. What new, terrifying adventure awaits for Era?
1. Village Under Attack

I've always wanted to become a dragon rider. After secretly stealing the books from the grand hall's library and pouring myself over them, I was fascinated with the heroic dragons and their riders of the olden days and aspired to become a dragon rider. Especially more because of Eragon and Saphira, his dragon, who saved Alagaësia from Galbatorix's terrifying reign.

Each time I see the egg bearer who comes every year with a dragon egg, I hope that I might be the lucky one. But my hopes are instantly crushed as the other children of the village stand in line excitedly while I sit in my dark room, unable to join them.

It's happened for years now, and I'm already fifteen. All my life, I've been in my one-window room. I'm alone.

I'm alone and I know why. I'm an outcast, an outsider. The children fear me because of my eyes. The adults fear me because I'm different. I'm not like them.

The old, wooden door creaked loudly and I jumped, startled from my thoughts. Kita poked her head through. I relaxed.

"I brought you some food, and an extra treat," She chirped as she closed the door behind her and strode over to plop herself beside me on the bed. My room only has a desk, a bed, a washbasin, and a stool.

Kita handed me a bowl of soup and a spoon, and I ate it hungrily. I was always famished. As soon as I finished (only a matter of seconds), I thanked her and she handed me a roll of sweet bread. She winked and said "It's my present."

I took a bite and with my mouth full, I asked, "Has the egg bearer arrived yet?"

She shook her head and reported that he, or she, would be here tomorrow. Kita is the village chief's daughter. I am no one's daughter.

We met when we were little, and she sympathized with me, the only being who had ever accepted me for who I was. She didn't mind the fact that I looked different and that my eyes were mismatched. One was an iridescent blue, the other a blazing gold. Kita was my one and only true friend.

"You probably have to go now," I said through bites of bread and Kita took her leave.

She paused at the door and hesitated, but in the end she said nothing and the door closed shut, leaving me alone once again.

I hopped over to my desk and opened the drawer, taking out a hidden book. I leafed through the pages before settling down on one. Since I had nothing else to do, I started learning magic through a book. It was a really old book and its binding was terribly worn and many pages were wrinkled. The book smelled but I didn't mind. It was my only source of fun and I had a goal. To learn as much magic as I can, so I can finally escape this village that has me locked away. I haven't told Kita because I don't want her to be involved. I've been slowly biding my time, preparing myself to leave and to live in the outside world.

"Stenr reisa," I whispered. The pebble in my hand slowly rose up to eye level. "Jierda." The pebble shattered into a million pieces. "Malthinae." The pieces pulled back together until it was the same, solid and complete pebble it used to be.

I sank down on my bed and shut my eyes tightly. A sudden urge to see a dragon egg seized through me. I've never seen a real one with my own eyes, only pictures in the dusty books I stole.

Just then, cheers sounded throughout the village, announcing the arrival of the egg bearer. Excitement coursed through me. This time, I would not miss catching a glimpse of a real dragon egg. I tested the door. It was locked, but the lock was old and weak. With a nifty hairpin Kita had sneaked to me, the lock clicked open.

When the door slowly cracked open, I felt daring and rebellious. Adrenaline pumped through my blood as I carefully inched the door open until I was able to squeeze quietly through.

Once out, terror took hold of my legs. Maybe I should return, in case someone discovered I had left my prison. Then, I remembered how long I'd been in that room, mostly alone, hungry and cold. Their mistreatment stirred a deep anger in me and I moved on.

Silently, like a shadow, I tiptoed my way over to an alley. I could tell I was heading towards the egg bearer's direction because the noises grew louder. I searched for a ladder and upon finding one, I climbed it to the top of a roof.

The sight was breathtaking. The sky looked so blue and fluffy white clouds floated by. A bird circled above. I was wrenched away from my reverie when a harsh voice whispered, "Hey! What are you doing?"

Kita stood below me with her hands on her hips, an angry look on her face.

"I went back to your room and you weren't there. Don't you know how dangerous that is for you? Any of the villagers could've noticed. You even left the door wide open!" She hissed.

I grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, did you close it?"

Her deadly eyes answered my silly question.

I clambered onto the roof and crouched, looking across. I saw the children of the village gather around in the center of the village and a large, elegantly adorned chest guarded by a couple of elves. My heart thumped. The egg was tucked safely inside that chest.

"I just want to see a real, live dragon egg." I said down to Kita.

Her eyes softened and her arms fell down to her sides. Then her eyes lit up and she said mischievously, "Okay! Let's get you close to one!"

She followed after me and together, we carefully crawled across the roofs of village houses. All of them were connected somehow. In case the village was attacked, the people could quickly climb ladders up to the roof and take away the ladders. That way, they were safe high up on the roofs where swords could not harm them. Archers would rain down arrows on the enemy.

Kita took my hand and led me to the edge of a roof. Hiding behind a chimney and obscured from the view of the people down below, we could see clearly what was happening.

One by one, the children stood up and took their places in line to touch the dragon egg and see if they were the lucky ones and have the egg hatch for them. Envy burned in me. I was this close but I dare not reveal myself.

From my peripheral vision, I could see a dark blur so I twisted my head for a better look.

I saw what it was – and screamed.


	2. Dragon's Hatching

Suddenly, people garbed in black swarmed from behind and jumped down the roofs, killing those who stood in their way. The villagers panicked and screamed as I grabbed Kita and we hurtled down the roof and landed on a bed of straw.

The elves immediately surrounded the chest to protect the egg inside. Magic flurried through the air and loud bangs resounded. I covered my ears reflexively.

The fighting continued as Kita and I lay burrowed under the straw, terrified for our lives. She stared at me and whispered, "The village is under attack!"

I hushed her by whispering back, "I know that! Quiet, unless you want to be found out!"

We were like rabbits trapped in our burrow with a fox waiting outside.

Kita gave a tiny nod when her eyes widened and she whispered, "My father!"

Quickly, she started to scramble out of our hiding place. Terror filled me and I attempted to stop her, grabbing her by the leg.

My eyes narrowed angrily at her as I muttered fiercely, "Fool! Do you want to be killed? Do want us both to be killed?"

Her eyes glanced back with an apology and she whispered back, "I have to see my father. I need to make sure he's okay."

With that, she kicked my hand away and tumbled out. I poked my head through and watched her dash away. Only moments later, a sword skewered her body and I watched in complete horror as she crashed down to the ground.

I wanted to wail and scream my anguish and sorrow but I was already running towards her, weaving through the enemy and the panicking villagers.

I hurried over and cradled Kita's body near my chest. She felt heavy in my arms.

"Kita, wake up! Kita!" I shouted, blood roaring in my ears.

Her glazed eyes stared right past me.

Warm tears distorted my vision and I blinked them away.

I scanned around me, feeling disgusted and sick at the sight of dozens of bodies. The elves were in close combat with the attackers. Some attackers lay dead among the other corpses.

I felt the hair on the back of my neck tingle when all of a sudden, a blinding light exploded. I jerked my head back and a shade stood calmly on a roof, watching the scene with a bloodthirsty delight.

_A shade._ Only three people were known to kill one, two of them were Dragon Riders.

An elf fell down, dead, and a melodic wail sounded from the elves at their fallen comrade. More explosions of light with a combination of shooting arrows caused more elves to fall down in death. Just then, an elf caught sight of me and her eyes told me to come.

Stumbling a bit, I sprinted over to her just as the elves used magic to attack the shade. A light exploded so bright I couldn't even see in front of me and tripped over a corpse.

Amidst all the chaos and confusion, I found myself holding the dragon egg. I couldn't believe my eyes. It appeared larger and more beautiful up close. It was a snowy white color and it sparkled like a gem.

Something whisked past above my head as I ducked. Gasping, I twisted to see one of the black-clothed attackers swing a sword at me. The female elf finished him swiftly as she brought her own, finely crafted elven sword down on his neck, hacking off the head. I felt squeamish.

Her emerald eyes darting around nervously, the elf hissed at me "Go! Leave now, with the egg! You must not let the egg fall in the enemy's hands."

I don't know how but I was racing away so fast, I didn't even know I could move this quick. A free feeling surged inside me as I bounded away with the egg clutched tightly against my chest.

Behind me, the attackers were in disarray as they found the chest empty. I safely reached the outskirts of village and was soon hidden in the shadows of the forest beyond.

Once I was certain that there were no pursuers, I stopped to catch my breath. Panting, I slid down and leaned against an old, gnarly tree. I glanced down at the dragon egg and it seemed to pulse with a white light.

Curious, I touched it and I heard a crack. My heart thumped faster as the egg began to break.

My eyes watched with disbelief and amazement as the shell fell apart and out emerged a beautiful, white baby dragon, its white scales gleaming in the dim light. Its eyes opened and revealed glowing violet eyes.

The dragon hatched for me. It hatched _for me._ My brain was a jumble in my head. My dream was really coming true.

Cautiously, I extended a hand to the dragon's nose and it eagerly nudged my hand.

A great, icy feeling surged through my hand and arms and the rest of my body at the touch and I clutched my hand in pain, yelping. When the pain subsided, I glanced down to see the gedwëy ignasia, silver and shimmering, just like in the books.

The dragon stared up at me with wide, innocent eyes.

"Thank you," I whispered, "For choosing me."

It seemed to understand for it blinked and clambered over to me.

Though young and fragile now, the dragon would grow rapidly and would have an enormous appetite. I stared down at it and wondered how I would catch anything to eat without any weapons.

An idea came to me then.


	3. First Words Spoken

I crawled towards a rabbit burrow, carefully and silently. Behind me trailed my dragon.

_My dragon._

Since the dragon had yet to have a name, I started calling it "my dragon."

It followed me obediently and stopped when I stopped. I stared straight ahead and waited for the prey to come out of its hiding spot.

A rabbit finally appeared, its nose quivering and ears alert, sniffing the air. It sat on its hunches and sniffed the air.

Slowly, quietly, I whispered to my dragon, "Listen now, I'm going to need your help to catch this rabbit. After I use magic, I need you to catch it, got it?"

My dragon nodded, to my surprise. So it really did understand what I said, but it still hadn't spoken to me. I wished my dragon would talk to me soon and choose a name.

The rabbit hopped cautiously closer and I held my breath.

Then, directing the magic towards the rabbit, I shouted, "Jierda!"

The rabbit immediately fell down on itself, its broken legs buckling under. I felt horrible for committing such an act, but I had two bellies to fill and I hardened my will. I watched as my dragon, as quick as lightning, dashed over towards the rabbit.

The rabbit desperately tried to get away despite its broken legs, but my dragon bit down on its neck, leaving the rabbit limp and dead in its mouth. I thanked the rabbit for sparing its life for us.

My dragon hobbled over with our kill, and I patted its head in appreciation. My dragon nuzzled my hand in a loving fashion and I felt my heart melt at the endearing action.

"Good job on your first hunt," I praised as my dragon blinked and dropped the rabbit at my feet, "But you'll still need to keep practicing to hone your skills."

Afterwards, I cooked the rabbit over a fire I created with some kindle wood and some magic. It was taxing and tiring, using this much magic, but it paid off. I was starving and my mouth watered at the delicious smell of cooked meat.

I bit into a leg, relishing over the juicy taste. Turning around, I was about to give some of the rabbit to my dragon, only to find it had disappeared. I panicked right away.

I stood up and gave a 360° scan. "Dragon?" I called anxiously.

I heard a rustle and my dragon appeared from behind a bush, carrying in its mouth a large, plump mouse. My dragon stared at me for a moment, as if announcing "I'm here!" before tearing into its meal.

I smiled and said, "Oh, I see you've got your own dinner." I turned back to my dinner.

"_Yes_."

I whirled around.

"Did you just, like, talk?" I asked, stunned.

My dragon looked up.

"_Yes_."

I felt like squealing in excitement, but I controlled myself.

"Hello then," I said in delight. After all, my dragon was speaking for the first time. At least in my mind through our connection as Dragon Rider.

"Now that I think about it, I've never introduced myself. I'm Era. Have you chosen a name yet?"

My dragon tilted its head, as if in deep thought.

"_No, I have not. I don't know what to call myself," _my dragon said, scratching its scales.

I plopped myself beside my dragon and inquired, "First, are you female or male?"

My dragon replied, "_I am female, thank you very much."_

I wrinkled my nose in annoyance.

"Okay, no need to be so snarky."

I began to list some dragon names I remembered from the textbooks, but my dragon rejected each one I recited. She didn't like any of them and I began to grow frustrated.

Right when I was about to burst in anger, my dragon said, "_Stop. I don't like any of the names you've listed. I think I will come up with my own name._"

My anger instantly dissipated and I chastised myself for getting so worked up. I nodded and finished my dinner, feeling just slightly disappointed.

When night fell and the stars came out, I created a make-shift bed with leaves and extinguished the fire. I didn't want anyone finding us, just in case there was someone looking for us. I lay down on my leaf bed and my dragon clambered over to join me. She curled herself into a little ball and I smiled, thinking she looked so cute. She read my thoughts and snorted but I could tell she was pleased through our link.

In my head, I thought, _I hope you find your name soon. It feels strange not knowing what to call you._

My dragon shifted a bit but replied, _I got it. Just give me some time._


	4. A Stranger and A Name

I wiped off the sweat on my brow. My dragon and I had hiked through the forest for a couple of days but I had yet to see the sign of a village or a town. My dragon still had not chosen a name.

"Let's stop here, Dragon," I muttered, panting.

"_Agreed, but stop calling me that,_" came the reply.

Irritated, I slumped down against a tree and retorted, "Then what am I supposed to call you?"

My dragon hovered in the air for a bit before settling down beside me under the shade.

"_Good point."_

I rolled my eyes.

We had managed to survive so far, and we had found a river and quenched our thirst. The problem was how long we could keep this up. As far as I was concerned, there might not be any rivers or streams nearby.

The heat of the sun was unbearable today. I desperately wished for some water but there were none, especially since all the water had evaporated due to the extreme heat. To make matters worst, I felt like I was beginning to hallucinate.

Without turning my tired neck, I said to my dragon, "Hey, are you seeing the giant stag I'm seeing?"

My dragon did not reply and I continued, "It's enormous! If we caught it, we could fill our stomachs for days!"

I already felt my mouth watering at the thought. I was pretty hungry and didn't want to let this chance escape. I began to stand up when suddenly, my dragon's voice shouted in my head.

"_Get down!"_

Though she was still small, my dragon was able to knock me down just as an arrow whizzed right past where my head had been and buried itself deep into the tree behind me. My heart thumped hard in my chest at the close call.

"What was that?" I whispered, afraid. My eyes darted around but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

My dragon hovered by my shoulder protectively. Suddenly, I was thrown to the ground.

My dragon shouted in alarm. "_Era!"_

I screamed and threw dirt at my attacker. It seemed to blind its eyes since it shrieked an awfully sound, and retreated. My shoulder burned in pain and when I touched it, I felt warm, moist blood. Staggering up, I shouted "Jierda thierra kalfis!"

I heard the harsh sound of breaking bones and another, horrible ear-splitting shriek.

Something lunged at me and to my horror, I stared up at grotesque face, with a sharp, beak protruding outwards. Its breath smelled like rotten meat.

Then, its head was slice clean off its neck and the body fell forward with a "thump." I backed away instinctively, horrified and frightened. I looked up to see the one who had saved me.

It was a young man dressed in a slightly ragged tunic and a small, leather cape wrapped around his shoulders. His hair was curly and black and his eyes were pale gray. He noticed my stare and grinned, and I felt slightly repulsed. The man was missing a tooth.

He stepped forward, and in response I backed away.

"Now now, there's no need to be afraid. I just saved you," He said.

I glanced around and realized my dragon wasn't anywhere to be seen. It was a good thing, since I didn't want people to find I was a Dragon Rider and had a dragon, but it was also a bad thing because something might have happened to her.

The man did not step closer as he continued to talk. "My name is Berwyn. You look lost, maybe I can be of help?"

I couldn't believe it. A total stranger was offering assistance to me, another total stranger. I felt suspicious and answered cautiously, "I'm not sure about that. I think I'm near my village. It's that way."

I pointed a random direction. Berwyn laughed and I felt my cheeks blush indignantly.

When he stopped laughing, he said in a serious, low tone, "There is no village or town a few days here. We're in the middle of the wilderness."

I knew he saw right through my lie. We really were nowhere. I turned the risks in my head but I decided to go with him anyways.

"Alright, very well."

Berwyn looked past me and said, "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Like a ghost, my dragon fluttered to my side. Her concealment was discovered. I panicked and clenched my hands into fists.

He noticed my wariness and said, "Calm down. I'm not going to kill you. We might as well help each other. Besides, you could easily kill me, if you're a Dragon Rider."

Through our connection, I asked my dragon, "_What should we do?"_

My dragon sighed mentally, "_It seems like that is the only thing we can do. He seems to know this place better than us."_

I hated the fact that our identity was revealed but we had no choice.

I began to follow him, my dragon trailing slowly behind me.

_"Era?"_

I gave a glance back at her.

"_Yeah?"_

"_You may call me Naolïn."_

I snorted and Berwyn turned to look at me curiously and I gave him a straight face, glaring right back. He looked back up front.

"_A little late, don't you think?"_ I thought with annoyance.


	5. Berwyn's Betrayal

Though it felt like forever, we had walked for five days and there were still no establishments in sight. I was really beginning to lose hope that we would ever see another fellow human.

"_Don't give up now. I'm sure this Berwyn has some idea of a destination in mind. We've been walking in the same direction,_" My dragon said with a comforting voice.

I glanced up at her. Sometimes, she alternated between flying and walking but it was becoming harder and harder for her to fly through the trees as she was growing bigger. At a couple of weeks old, she was already the size of an abnormally large dog.

_Okay, but Berwyn hasn't even spoken to us at all, you know,_ I thought with some doubt.

We had walked in silence these five days.

"_No, we really are heading somewhere. I can smell the faint scent of smoke from far away."_

This caused my heart to surge with hope. Finally, we were going to have a nice place to stay! Berwyn glanced back at us to make sure we were close behind. Then, he spoke.

"We're almost at a tavern. Keep walking and we should be there by night."

It was certain now that we were going somewhere. However, the thought of it being a tavern made me feel uneasy. After all, taverns housed drunks and I wasn't really looking forward to that.

Night arrived with a cool breeze that felt blissful after walking in the heat for hours. Ahead, Naolïn pointed out a bright light streaming out from a cottage. Berwyn had turned around and winked at us and said we were just about there. I smiled grimly.

As we hungry and thirsty travelers approached the tavern, the loud noises and raucous laughter grew louder each time we took a step closer.

"Wait," I said suddenly.

Berwyn paused and asked, "What is it?"

I glanced at Naolïn and said in mind, _You can't go there. You're a dragon. It's too dangerous._

She nodded and replied unhappily, "_Yes, you're right. I'll stay outside and hide, though I hate leaving you alone._"

Breathing deeply, I said to Berwyn, "My dragon should stay outside."

He stared at me, thinking hard, though I did not know what he thought. Pursing his lips, he answered slowly, "Very well. The dragon can stay outside and the two of us can continue inside."

Without another word, Naolïn took off and her white scales sparkled luminously in the light for a moment. Then, she was gone, though I could tell she was nearby through our connection.

Berwyn turned back towards the tavern and pushed open the door. Now, I could make out some words as I followed closely behind him.

"…I'm a-hunting these woods and ten days ago, I…"

"…Hmph…this beer is good!..."

"…Hear of the bounty these days for criminals?..."

"…Oooh, now that's scary!..."

Then, the laughter died and the tavern people all twisted in their seats to take a look at us, the newcomers. Nervously, I gulped and sought my connection with Naolïn.

_I'm kind of scared,_ I thought and my dragon blanketed me with happy feelings.

A man shouted, "Why, it's Berwyn!"

All of a sudden, the people were hustling around him as if he were someone famous and asked after him. I was pushed away rudely and indignantly, I stepped back from the crowd.

"How are you doing, boy?" said one man with a scar over his nose.

Berwyn laughed and replied he was well.

After some interrogation, the tavern's inhabitants turned their attention on me.

"Well, who's this here?"

Their stares unnerved me and I felt they could see right through me. I remained silent and looked at Berwyn. He grinned and for some reason, it was disturbing.

"I have with me…A dragon rider!"

Eyes that weren't paying attention to me earlier now did. Then, someone was shoving me down and clamping a hand over my mouth so I couldn't scream. I bit down on it and earned myself a slap on my face. Then, ropes were tightened over my wrists as someone grabbed a hold of my arms.

_Naolïn!_

I wasn't about to be captured without a fight so I kicked at anybody who came near me. But the struggle was futile because soon, my legs were bound as well and someone tied a rag over my mouth.

I was overpowered – and betrayed.


	6. Under Capture

I glared hatefully at Berwyn. He had led me straight into a trap. I shouldn't have trusted him. I felt foolish and stupid for landing myself in this state.

Berwyn took a step towards me and said in a mocking tone, "Looks like I can sell you in the black market. After all, Dragon Riders fetch a _very _high price. Wonder how much I can get…"

A voice piped up, "Hey now, we helped you. We deserve some of the share."

"Yes, yes," Berwyn said impatiently.

"_Era, I'm coming over!"_

_No! You can't! They'll get you too!_

Taking my chin roughly, Berwyn whispered in a deadly voice, "Tell your dragon to come over here now, or its master is going to get hurt."

I shook my head. No way was I going to do that. If someone was going to get hurt, it was going to be me. Not her.

Berwyn kicked me in the stomach and I fell forward, landing awkwardly with my face down on the floorboards. I felt utterly humiliated.

"Well, if you're not going to, we're going to have to smoke your dragon out," He snarled and to his men, he commanded sharply, "Go look! The dragon shouldn't be too far away from here!"

I checked for Naolïn but I could only feel her faintly in our connection. I was unsure whether to be glad she had ran away or someone had caught her.

Berwyn turned back to me once more.

"Of course, selling you as a Dragon Rider would be very profitable. But you also look like something else, like a cross between two things."

I stared at him. _What?_

He continued, "Your eyes are very unique…never seen anything like it. What are you, Dragon Rider? Tell me your secret."

I could not think of anything to say. Was I truly a cross between two things? I knew nothing of my parents and I've always wanted to know of my parentage. Now, I felt afraid of knowing.

Berwyn took my silence as a refusal to comply so he kicked me again in the stomach. I felt like retching, my stomach stinging in pain. More than ever, I wanted to kill him or hurt him.

"You can remain silent as far as I care," Berwyn said haughtily, "But either way, I'm going to dig and find all of your little secrets. Some dragon rider you are, for getting captured this easily."

My pride was shattered and I was furious. However, he was right that I was some dragon rider. I'm sure I'm the only dragon rider who got themselves in this mess. I needed training. But who was to train me? My powerlessness frustrated me as I tried to squirm and free myself.

A man yanked me by my hair and I yelped, though no one could hear me through the smelly rag.

"Ooh, trying to escape, missy?" breathed the man, giggling. "I don't think so!"

He stuck his face right next to mine and I was revolted at the stink of his breath. It smelled of wine. Someone needed to clean their mouth.

Then, the man dropped me unexpectedly and I fell face first on the floor, and it hurt. Continually, the men in the tavern kicked me, hit me, and made fun of me. I tolerated it – just barely. I wanted to lash out at them with all my might. I was being abused, and I couldn't even protect myself.

I wanted to use magic but I was unable to speak, so it was useless.

It seemed like ages before my tormentors grew bored and returned to their drinks. I was blessed with a reprieve.

I prayed that Naolïn was safe and sound. I could no longer feel her at all through our connection.

Suddenly, I heard someone shout a magic spell.

"Thrysta vindr!"

* * *

**A Word from the Author: **

Hi, sorry that this chapter is pretty short. Hopefully, future chapters will be longer! Please bear with it for now.

~Suzume Suzuki


	7. The Rescuer's Identity

I felt the air around me compress painfully and knock down a bunch of the tavern's men. Several of them screamed in panic and tried to run away from the new attacker.

I tried to look for the spell-caster, the one who had shouted in the ancient language. It was futile since there was so much commotion among me, and I could barely lift up my neck, much less twist it around. In the end, I just lay there on the floor, lying on my side.

Amidst the turmoil, I heard Berwyn shout frantically, "Calm down! Calm down men! Halt! I command all of you to halt!"

A blast of light almost blinded me and I tried to crawl away from the crushing feet and moving bodies. I certainly did not want to be trampled on. Of course, someone did end up stepping on me and I cursed angrily through the rag on my mouth, tears springing from my eyes.

Many of the men escaped, leaving behind a catastrophic mess. Some men lay dead on the floor with pools of blood forming beneath them. The only one left standing was Berwyn, the head of the men and the one who had seemingly come to rescue me.

My rescuer wore a dark, black cloak that shrouded most of his body and covered his head. Its back was facing towards me so I could not discern its face or much of its appearance.

However, the voice soon gave away its gender.

"Who are you?" came the low, controlled voice, "Are you working for the Dark Order?"

Berwyn hissed and cried defiantly, "I'll never give you any information!"

Just then, it seemed they were fighting some inner, mind battle. The two men stood rigidly in their places. I could see Berwyn's face slightly, and I noticed that his teeth were clenched tightly.

I moaned loudly and this distracted Berwyn. Suddenly, he was shrieking as if in utmost pain, pressing his hands against his ears as he sank to his knees.

"No, no, no, no!" He shrieked anguishly.

Another blast of light came out of nowhere rendered me blind and dizzy. The last thing I remembered seeing was darkness and another unknown figure.

When I came to, I realized my savior was carrying me on his back. I shook my head, my head feeling a little numb and fuzzy. I also realized that the ropes and the rag were gone. My wrist still burned in pain from the tightly tied ropes. I rubbed them, hoping to stop the pain though it wasn't working.

"Are you alright?" asked the man who saved me.

I was startled momentarily. I forgot he was another human being (I'm guessing) and could talk.

I replied shakily, "I – I think so. Who are you? Thank you for saving me."

He did not reply immediately, only shifting me on his back. I wondered who he was and why he helped me. For some reason, staring at his back made me think it would give me an answer.

I felt something buzz in the back of my mind and I tried to ignore it. However, it persisted and I let my mental guard down and shouted in my head, "_Stop it!_"

"_What do you mean, _what_? I've been worried sick about you!"_ came my dragon's voice, loud and clear in my head, and obviously angry and annoyed.

_Naolïn! You're safe! Where are you?_ I thought at her, relief washing over me like a warm bath.

"_Look in front of you, you idiot."_

I glanced upwards and gasped. There she was, my beautiful pearly white dragon, perched on a low branch of a tree. Her eyes twinkled at me as my rescuer and I approached. However, something enormous loomed behind her. Something red, something glittering, something with scales, something…

My jaw dropped.

Another dragon.

_Wait, Naolïn, don't tell me that my eyes are tricking me,_ I thought, _Because I've had enough craziness for one day._

She shook her head, saying, "_Your eyes aren't tricking you". _

My rescuer dropped me down gently, as if I were a baby, and I stepped a bit away from him, taking a good, hard look. He took off his hood and smiled grimly as he revealed his face.

"No way," I said out loud, "Seriously? Are you a –."

He interrupted right in the middle, not allowing me to finish my question.

"Yes, I am a dragon rider. My name is Murtagh, and behind your dragon is my dragon, Thorn."

* * *

**Pronunciations:**

Kita – _Kee-tah_

Naolïn – _Now-ling_

Berwyn – _Bur-win_


	8. Teachers and Pupils

I glanced from Murtagh to Thorn, my eyes as wide as an owl's. Inside, I was bursting with excitement.

Another dragon and rider! And a famous one at that!

I definitely heard of Murtagh and Thorn's tale, though some people disliked them. However, I thought they were heroes just like Eragon and Saphira.

"Oh wow…" I breathed loudly.

A voice entered my head, "_Hello Era. Naolïn has introduced you to me already. As my rider has already said, I am Thorn._"

Thorn's voice was surprisingly beautiful and melodic. I had thought for sure he would have a gruff voice.

"Pleased to meet 'cha!" I practically yelled, and I noticed Murtagh wince.

Then, for a moment, we all just stared at each other awkwardly. I couldn't decide who to stare at: Murtagh or Thorn.

Naolïn spoke up just then, "_Master Thorn and Master Murtagh, we would like to be your pupils_."

_Yes!_

Even more excitement coursed through me. This was like a dream come true! I couldn't help pipe in, "Yes, please! Please teach us!"

Bewildered, Murtagh put his hands up and sputtered, "Wait, whoa! Hold on. I don't remember saying anything about teaching you guys. Thorn and I operate alone. You guys should just scramble home."

All of a sudden, my heart sank and disappointment settled in. They weren't going to teach us? Seriously, I told him, "We don't have a home to go back to."

Murtagh's face registered shock, then sorrow and regret and maybe something else I couldn't discern. He closed his mouth and did not speak. I glanced at Naolïn and she stared at me intently with concern. After she hatched, I had told her what happened to my village. I was probably the lone survivor.

Gravely, slowly, Murtagh said, "I don't know what happened but we can't have another person to look after."

"_Nonsense. Why can we not? They are orphans; an untrained dragon and dragon rider,_" said Thorn to all of us.

Murtagh whisked his head around to goggle incredulously at the humongous red dragon.

"What?! No, we can't be babysitting after them if we're trying to find the Dark Order!"

"_Then who will teach them?_"

Murtagh muttered something like Eragon but I didn't quite catch it. The two continued to bicker, closing their minds against Naolïn and me and communicating through their shared link. Aggravated and nervous as our fates were being decided, I absent-mindedly unsheathed and sheathed my dagger repeatedly.

"_Where did you get that?_" Naolïn suddenly asked sharply.

_Huh?_

We were interrupted when Murtagh cleared his throat to catch our attention. He eyed us and planted his feet firmly on the ground, arms crossed. He cleared his throat again, preparing to dictate the final verdict. I squeezed my eyes shut, anxious and dreading that we would be thrown away and left to our own devices again.

"We shall teach you two –."

My eyes flew open and I shouted, "Yes! Yes! Whoohoo!" Like a mad rabbit, I hopped around victoriously while pumping my fist.

Thorn chuckled amusedly while Naolïn and Murtagh were unamused. My dragon was glaring daggers at me. Promptly, I stopped and straightened myself out. "Yes?" I asked innocently like I didn't just have a wild outburst.

Coughing, Murtagh continued, "Anyways, _as I was saying_, we will teach you but under one condition."

_Oh._

All nervous again, I asked timidly, "Well, what is it?"

"You must take care of yourself. Thorn and I will not provide you with anything but knowledge of the arts of being a dragon rider and a dragon."

"But…doesn't that mean I'll have to catch my own food, find water and a shelter and all that stuff?" I asked, confused.

Murtagh snorted, "Of course! Surely you don't think I'll be cooking for you?"

In my head, I heard Naolïn laugh lightly.

I blurted out, "But-but what if something comes tries to kill us?"

Murtagh grinned wickedly. "Well, that's not my problem."


	9. Bath After Training

"Stop moving so stiffly!"

"Well, maybe that's because I've been standing here for _two hours_!" I snapped with annoyance and anger, my back straining and my joints creaking as I tried to move with flow.

Murtagh was bending his knees and moving his arms fluidly as if what we were doing was simple. When Murtagh instructed me to follow his motions, I had thought it would be a piece of cake.

_Wrong._

Whatever I was learning, some sort of exercise that would help with focus and strength or something, according to Murtagh, was a lot harder than it looked. Right now, I felt like my entire body was made of lead, and my neck was sore as hell.

"Aren't we done yet?" I asked through gritted teeth, "I'm starving!"

Briefly, my mind flicked to Naolïn, who had flew off with Thorn to train and learn. Surely she was having a better time than me.

Murtagh cast a sideways glance at me, frowning.

"Some people are hungrier than others," He muttered and I scowled.

Standing straight up and stretching his arms, my new mentor declared, "Alright, I suppose we'll stop here for now…"

"Finally!" I breathed and rolled my sore neck, rubbing it with my hand. My muscles were burning with fatigue and I couldn't wait to take a nap.

Murtagh smiled, "Oh, but I didn't say we were stopping. We're continuing later on today."

I goggled my eyes at him.

"Oh come on!" I shouted exasperatedly.

He ran a hand through his hair and said deviously, "Hey, I'm not the one who came looking for someone to teach me. You want me to teach you then you better do what I say."

I growled one last time before stomping away. I had a feeling he was just doing this to torture me. Immediately after grabbing some spare, clean clothes (we bought new clothes when we stopped by a village a couple days ago), I headed off towards a hot spring. When I slipped into the water, it was soothingly warm and felt like heaven. After a long, tired morning, I was totally looking forward to a wonderful bath like this. Slowly, I began to cleanse my pale blonde hair of sweat and dirt from sleeping on the forest floor. It had grown long as I had not cut it in a long while.

I hummed while I washed, when I detected something. I felt eyes watching me and surreptitiously, I scanned around.

_Naolïn,_ I said urgently, _Something's out there watching me._

She did not reply at first, for our link was weak this far apart. Over time, our link would become stronger, but not right now.

"_I'm coming then,_" my dragon said at last and I felt her approach.

Slowly, I inched my way to my dagger (one that I had somehow picked up from the tavern) and my clothes. Just when I grabbed a hold of them, Murtagh came dashing over, with Naolïn flying quickly beside him.

Shouting a spell, the leaves of a faraway bush suddenly burst like confetti and there, hiding behind the now bare branches, was a man, looking embarrassed and frightened when his cover was blown. _A pervert_.

I shrieked as I covered my chest, ducking into the water, a blush forming on my cheeks. A man was spying on me! How disgusting and mortifying! It was a good thing I had remained in the water the whole time.

Murtagh apprehended the man and soon, the poor guy left stumbling away, his memory altered and erased.

I was still in the warm water when Murtagh stepped towards me, eyebrows raised, and asked, "When are you getting out? You're not living in the water now are you?"

He was smirking and looking down at me. My cheeks grew warm again; enraged, I splashed water on him, screaming furiously, "Get out of here, you pervert! You just looked! You're a pervert just like that guy! No, even worse!"

My mentor laughed hilariously as he turned on his heel and left before I could splash more water onto him. Angrily, I climbed out of the hot spring and speedily pulled on a tunic and trousers. Naolïn hovered near me protectively, worried and wary. I'm sure she could feel my seething wrath and fury.

Then, hobbling back to our makeshift campsite, I refused to look at Murtagh as I cooked three birds I caught in a trap. I ate with stony silence as Naolïn sent comforting and relaxing feelings my way, trying to calm down my anger.

I handed her dinner and went to rest early that day. I suppose Murtagh felt sorry enough for me to break the promise of having to do more grueling exercise and for that, I was thankful. But that didn't me I completely forgave him.

I looked forward to tomorrow.

(I was being sarcastic, in case you're wondering)


End file.
